Fasting (Kitab Al-Siyam)

Abu Hurayrah reported: A man broke his fast during Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah ordered him to free a slave, fast two consecutive months, or feed sixty poor people. The man said, "I cannot." The Messenger of Allah told him, "Sit down." A large basket of dates was brought to him. He said, "Take this and give it in charity." The man said, "Messenger of Allah, there is no one poorer than me." The Messenger of Allah laughed until his canine teeth showed and said, "Then eat it yourself." Abu Dawud said: Ibn Jurayj narrated it from al-Zuhri in Maliks wording that a man broke his fast; that version says, "Either free a slave, fast two months, or feed sixty poor people."

Abu Hurayrah reported: A man came to the Prophet after breaking his fast during Ramadan, and he related the rest of the report. He added that a large basket containing fifteen sa of dates was brought to the Prophet, who said, "Eat it, you and your family, and fast one day and seek Allahs forgiveness."

Aishah, the wife of the Prophet, reported: A man came to the Prophet in the mosque during Ramadan and said, "Messenger of Allah, I am ruined." The Prophet asked what had happened. He said, "I had intercourse with my wife." The Prophet said, "Give charity." The man said, "By Allah, I have nothing and cannot do that." He told him, "Sit down." As the man sat there, someone came driving a donkey loaded with food. The Messenger of Allah asked, "Where is the man who was ruined just now?" The man stood up. The Prophet said, "Give this in charity." The man asked, "To someone other than us? By Allah, we are hungry and have nothing." He said, "Then eat it yourselves."

This account from Aishah, transmitted through another chain, adds that a large basket containing twenty sa of dates was brought.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever breaks a day of Ramadan without a concession that Allah has granted will not make up for it even by fasting for a lifetime."

Abu Hurayrah reported the same statement as in the preceding report. Abu Dawud said: Sufyan and Shubah differed over whether the transmitter was Ibn al-Mutawwis or Abu al-Mutawwis.

Abu Hurayrah reported: A man came to the Prophet and said, "Messenger of Allah, I ate and drank forgetfully while fasting." He replied, "Allah has fed you and given you drink."

Aishah said: If I owed any days of Ramadan fasting, I could not make them up until Shaaban came.

Aishah reported that the Prophet said, "If someone dies while owing a fast, his heir should fast on his behalf." Abu Dawud said: This refers to a fast vowed by the deceased, and this is the view of Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Ibn Abbas said: If a man becomes ill during Ramadan and dies without fasting, food should be given on his behalf, and he does not owe make-up fasts. If he owed a fast by vow, his heir should fulfill it on his behalf.

Aishah reported that Hamzah al-Aslami asked the Prophet, "Messenger of Allah, I am a man who fasts continuously. May I fast while traveling?" He replied, "Fast if you wish, or break your fast if you wish."

Hamzah al-Aslami reported from his father, from his grandfather: I said, "Messenger of Allah, I own riding animals that I work with, travel on, and hire out. Sometimes Ramadan comes while I am traveling. I am young and strong, and fasting is easier for me than postponing the fast and owing it later. Messenger of Allah, will my reward be greater if I fast or if I break the fast?" He replied, "Do whichever you wish, Hamzah."

Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet left Medina for Mecca and reached Usfan. He called for a vessel and raised it to his mouth so the people could see; this was during Ramadan. Ibn Abbas used to say, "The Prophet fasted and also broke his fast. Whoever wishes may fast, and whoever wishes may break the fast."

Anas reported: We traveled with the Messenger of Allah during Ramadan. Some of us fasted and others did not. Those who fasted did not criticize those who broke the fast, and those who broke the fast did not criticize those who fasted.

Qazaa reported: I came to Abu Said al-Khudri while he was giving legal opinions to a crowd gathered around him. I waited until he was alone, then asked about fasting while traveling. He said: We went out with the Prophet during Ramadan in the year of the Conquest of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah and we fasted until we reached one of the stopping places. He said, "You are approaching your enemy, and breaking the fast will make you stronger." The next morning some of us fasted and some broke their fast. We continued and stopped again. He said, "Tomorrow morning you will face your enemy, and breaking the fast will make you stronger, so break your fast." This was a firm instruction from the Messenger of Allah. Abu Said said: Even so, I later saw myself fasting with the Prophet both before and after that.

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah saw a man being shaded by others, with a crowd gathered around him. He said, "Fasting while traveling is not an act of righteousness."

Anas ibn Malik reported: The cavalry of the Messenger of Allah raided us. I went, or set out, to the Messenger of Allah while he was eating. He said, "Sit down and have some of our food." I said, "I am fasting." He replied, "Sit down; I will tell you about prayer and fasting. Allah Most High has reduced the prayer by half for a traveler, and has lifted fasting from the traveler and from a nursing or pregnant woman." By Allah, he mentioned both nursing and pregnancy, or one of them. I regretted not having eaten from the food of the Messenger of Allah.

Abu al-Darda reported: We went with the Messenger of Allah on one of his campaigns in intense heat, so much so that one of us would put his hand or palm on his head because of the heat. None of us was fasting except the Messenger of Allah and Abdullah ibn Rawahah.

The Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever has a mount that can carry him to a place where he can find enough food should fast Ramadan wherever he is when it comes."

Salamah ibn al-Muhabbaq reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If Ramadan comes upon someone while traveling..." He then related the rest in the same sense as the preceding report.